BIGNONIACEAE

by Alwyn H. Gentry

Trees, shrubs, or woody vines, rarely herbaceous; outer

scales of axillary buds often pseudostipular and sometimes
foliaceous; glandular fields often present between the
petioles and rarely at the petiole apex. Leaves usually
opposite, less often alternate or fasciculate, usually
palmately or pinnately compound, sometimes simple; terminal
leaflet often replaced by a tendril. Inflorescence
terminal, axillary, or cauliflorous, paniculate, racemose,
or reduced to a fascicle or a single flower. Calyx
synsepalous, usually cupular, truncate to variously lobed
or spathaceously split; corolla sympetalous with a
conspicuous tube and 5 usually imbricate lobes. Stamens
inserted on corolla tube, didynamous, (2)4(5), a posterior
staminode usually present; anthers with (1)2 thecae, these
usually divergent or divaricate and held against the
adaxial side of corolla tube; filaments slender. Ovary
superior, (1)2-locular; ovules numerous, attached to 4
vertical placental ridges, these axile in 2-locular ovaries
and parietal in 1-locular ovaries (a single placental ridge
in each locule in many species of Schlegelieae); style
slender; stigma bilamellate; nectariferous disk usually
conspicuous at base of ovary, sometimes lacking. Fruit a
capsule with dehiscence perpendicular or parallel to the
septum, or a berry or hard-shelled pepo (calabash). Seeds
without endosperm, flattened, usually winged; cotyledons
foliaceous.

Pantropics (concentrated in Neotropics), with a few

temperate zone outliers; 113 genera and ca. 840 species, 38
genera and 131 species in the flora area.
The Bignoniaceae are predominantly woody and include
several genera of large trees and many genera of lianas.
Opposite, compound leaves are characteristic of many
species in the family. The scaly buds ending in
pseudostipules are frequently conspicuous and provide a
useful taxonomic character. Presence or absence of zones of
peltate glands at the nodes, or less frequently at the
petiole apex is also useful; these glandular zones,
however, disappear with age and do not occur in all
species.

The major economic importance of the family is in

horticulture, with many species cultivated for their showy
flowers. Some species of Tabebuia and related genera are
important lumber trees, and the hard shell of the fruit of
Crescentia is widely used as a household utensil. Saritaea
magnifica (Sprague ex Steenis) Dugand, which is native to
Colombia and Ecuador, is cultivated in several states in
Venezuela, including Bolvar.
For species descriptions, common names, and more extensive
lists of synonyms for many of the species treated here, see
Flora de Venezuela 8(4): 1-433. 1982.

Key to the Genera of Bignoniaceae

(see also: Key to the Genera of Bignoniaceae

based on fruiting material)

1. Hemiepiphytic lianas climbing by adventitious roots;

leaves simple, without tendrils; corolla tubular (not
funnel-shaped or campanulate) with reflexed lobes; fruit a
globose berry ca. 3 cm diameter ..... 32. Schlegelia

1. Trees, shrubs, or lianas, not hemiepiphytic; leaves

simple or compound (always compound and in part tendrillate
when the plant scandent); corolla campanulate, tubular-
funnel-shaped, or salverform; fruit indehiscent and > 5 cm
long or dehiscent ..... 2

2(1). Calyx bilabiately split to base; corolla campanulate

with a transverse fold in throat; flowers cauliflorous,
borne singly or in a fascicle of 2 or 3 flowers; leaves in
alternate fascicles; fruit indehiscent ..... 8. Crescentia

2. Calyx cupular or campanulate or spathaceously split;

corolla without transverse fold in throat; inflorescence
usually an axillary or terminal panicle or raceme, rarely
cauliflorous; leaves opposite; fruit dehiscent ..... 3

3(2). Leaves palmately 5-7-foliolate, lacking tendrils;

trees or shrubs ..... 4

3. Leaves simple, 2- or 3-foliolate, pinnately compound, or

bicompound, frequently tendrillate; trees, shrubs, or
lianas ..... 6

4(3). Flowers less than 1.8 cm long; corolla broadly

campanulate from base; anthers pilose; fruit spirally
twisted ..... 14. Godmania

4. Flowers > 2 cm long; corolla salverform to funnel-shaped

or campanulate, broadly campanulate only when tube base
narrowly cylindrical; anthers glabrous; fruit not spirally
twisted ..... 5
5(4). Leaves (especially when young) and young shoots
varnished; calyx membranous, 12-22 mm long, with thinner
irregularly rupturing apex; corolla white or pale pink with
purplish stripes in throat; seed wings replaced by terminal
trichomes ..... 33. Sparattosperma

5. Leaves and young twigs not conspicuously varnished;

calyx 4-40 mm long, the texture even throughout, usually
coriaceous, apex often evenly denticulate; corolla color
various, when white the throat uniformly white or yellow;
seeds with membranous wings or wingless ..... 35. Tabebuia
6(3). Staminode longer than the stamens, subexserted,
strongly glandular-villous; flowers blue or blue-purple;
trees or shrubs ..... 7

6. Staminode minute, at base of corolla tube, not villous;

flowers yellow, white, red, orange, magenta, purple, or
lavender, never blue; trees, shrubs, or lianas ..... 8
7(6). Leaves simple or pinnate; calyx > 1 cm long ..... 11.
Digomphia

7. Leaves bipinnate; calyx less than 0.7 cm long ..... 15.

Jacaranda

8(6). Branchlets acutely tetragonal (sometimes

subtetragonal in P. albiflora); tendrils trifid; leaves
biternate to ternately bipinnate or tripinnate ..... 28.
Pleonotoma

8. Branchlets terete to tetragonal, if tetragonal the

tendrils simple; leaves mostly simple or 2-or 3-foliolate,
biternate or bipinnate only in Arrabidaea and Memora, both
with terete branches .....9

9(8). Corolla lobes narrow, not reflexed, appressed

together at anthesis; calyx double with thick inner margin
and wavy continuous outer margin ..... 2. Amphilophium

9. Corolla lobes reflexed at anthesis; calyx simple .....

10

10(9). Corolla tube (and lobes except sometimes the

margins) glabrous or lepidote outside ..... 11

10. Corolla puberulous outside (usually both tube and

lobes, rarely only on lobes) ..... 26

11(10). Tendrils trifid-uncinate with claw-like apices;

flowers yellow; stem cross section with many irregularly
divided phloem arms ..... 12
11. Tendrils (when present) simple or 3- to multifid, the
apices not uncinate or claw-like; flower color various;
stem cross section with 4-16 radially symmetrical phloem
arms or lacking anomalous structure ..... 13

12(11). Calyx apex obtuse or incurved; inflorescence bracts

minute ..... 17. Macfadyena

12. Calyx with recurved apex; inflorescence bracts

foliaceous ..... 21. Melloa

13(11). Calyx spathaceously split down one side to near the

base, the tip somewhat recurved and forming a glandular
hoodlike structure with sparse lepidote scales ..... 26.
Phryganocydia

13. Calyx truncate or bilabiate, rarely spathaceous, but

then not as above ..... 14

14(13). Leaves mostly pinnate or bipinnate ..... 22.

Memora

14. Leaves simple or 2- or 3-foliolate ..... 15

15(14). Calyx large, > 2.2 1.2 cm, inflated ..... 16

15. Calyx small, less than 2.1 1.2 cm ..... 17

16(15). Tendril simple; calyx thick and spongy when fresh;

branchlets not ribbed ..... 5. Callichlamys

16. Tendril multifid; calyx membranous; branchlets with

thin detachable ribs .....18. Manaosella

17(15). Trees or shrubs; tendrils absent; leaves mostly

simple; flowers white ..... 35. Tabebuia

17. Lianas; tendrils present; leaves mostly 2- or 3-

foliolate; flowers yellow, magenta, cream, or white .....
18

18(17). Anthers exserted; corolla orange, tubular, the

lobes valvate ..... 30. Pyrostegia

18. Anthers included; corolla yellow, magenta, or white,

tubular-campanulate to tubular-funnel-shaped ..... 19

19(18). Corolla yellow or cream ..... 20

19. Corolla magenta or white with purple markings in throat

..... 22
20(19). Branchlets acutely tetragonal ..... 23. Mussatia
20. Branchlets terete ..... 21

21(20). Calyx drying black, minutely 5-denticulate, 13-16

mm long; inflorescence an elongate raceme, drying black,
with subfoliaceous bracts and bracteoles subtending the
buds ..... 1. Adenocalymna (A. impressum)

21. Calyx usually drying olive, subtruncate to subulately

5-denticulate, less than 13(-15) mm long; inflorescence
usually a contracted raceme or fascicle of few flowers,
drying olive; bracts and bracteoles minute or absent .....
3. Anemopaegma

22(19). Calyx > 11 mm long, irregularly bilabiate ..... 20.

Martinella

22. Calyx less than 10 mm long, truncate or

subbilabiate .....23

23(22). Leaves 3-foliolate in part; disk conspicuous;

corolla tube lightly lepidote near apex ..... 29.
Potamoganos

23. Leaves simple to 2-foliolate, never 3-foliolate; disk

essentially absent; corolla tube densely lepidote
outside ..... 24

24(23). Tendrils minutely trifid ..... 31. Roentgenia

24. Tendrils simple ..... 25

25(24). Ovary oblong, verrucose-muricate ..... 7.

Clytostoma (C. sciuripabulum)

25. Ovary linear, lepidote ..... 10. Cydista

26(10). Corolla elongate, > 14 cm long, white ..... 36.

Tanaecium

26. Corolla less than 8 cm long, variously colored ..... 27

27(26). Anther thecae villous ..... 28

27. Anther thecae glabrous or with a few scattered

trichomes ..... 29

28(27). Thecae straight ..... 16. Lundia

28. Thecae reflexed forward near middle ..... 19. Mansoa

(M. kerere)
29(27). Thecae reflexed forward 90, the connective
enlarged..... 30

29. Thecae straight or slightly curved, the connective not

enlarged ..... 31

30(29). Corolla magenta, slightly bilabiate, the lobes

almost equal; pollen in tetrads ..... 9. Cuspidaria

30. Corolla white, strongly bilabiate, the 2 upper lobes

almost fused; pollen grains simple ..... 37. Tynanthus

31(29). Leaves pellucid-punctate; branchlets hollow .....

34. Stizophyllum

31. Leaves not pellucid-punctate; branchlets not

hollow ..... 32

32(31). Tendrils trifid-uncinate; calyx acutely 5-lobed,

the lobes triangular, 4-5 mm long ..... 24. Parabignonia

32. Tendrils simple or trifid (but not uncinate); calyx

subtruncate or bilabiate, often minutely 5-denticulate (the
teeth subulate and to 5 mm long in Mansoa verrucifera).....
33

33(32). Corolla yellow ..... 34

33. Corolla white to magenta ..... 36

34(33). Leaves 2- or 3-ternate ..... 22. Memora (M.

tanaeciicarpa)

34. Leaves 2- or 3-foliolate ..... 35

35(34). Ovary glabrous to lepidote ..... 1. Adenocalymna

35. Ovary pubescent ..... 3. Anemopaegma (A. robustum)

36(33). Tendrils 3(-15)-fid; if an erect shrub without

tendrils, the ovary always pubescent ..... 37

36. Tendrils simple or minutely bifid; ovary glabrous or

lepidote, never puberulous ..... 41

37(36). Ovary glabrous or lepidote or subpuberulous;

corolla often thin and sparsely puberulous; interpetiolar
glandular fields often present ..... 38

37. Ovary villous; corolla thick, densely pubescent

outside; interpetiolar glandular fields lacking ..... 39
38(37). Corolla white, rather thick; interpetiolar
glandular fields present; petiolar glandular fields
absent ..... 6. Ceratophytum

38. Corolla magenta, thin; both interpetiolar glandular

fields and petiolar glands present or both absent ..... 19.
Mansoa

39(37). Tendrils 3-15-fid; branchlets acutely hexagonal;

vegetative trichomes uniformly simple; corolla white .....
27. Pithecoctenium

39. Tendrils trifid; branchlets terete or hexagonal (if

hexagonal the vegetative trichomes dendroid or the corolla
magenta) ..... 40

40(39). Branchlets terete; corolla white, the tube bent

forward near middle; leaves glabrous to puberulous with
simple trichomes ..... 12. Distictella

40. Branchlets hexagonal; corolla white to magenta, the

tube straight; leaves finely canescent below or with
stellate trichomes ..... 13. Distictis

41(36). Corolla tube lepidote and sparsely puberulous;

ovary oblong, muricate-verrucose; pseudostipules a group of
subulate scales resembling a miniature bromeliad ..... 7.
Clytostoma

41. Corolla tube not lepidote, glabrous (the lobes

puberulous) or puberulous; ovary linear, not verrucose;
pseudostipules not resembling a minute bromeliad, usually
small and inconspicuous ..... 42

42(41). Tendrils minutely bifid; pseudostipules appressed-

conical; interpetiolar glandular fields absent; petiolar
glandular fields present ..... 25. Paragonia

42. Tendrils simple; pseudostipules inconspicuous;

interpetiolar glandular fields often present; petiolar
glandular fields absent ..... 43

43(42). Inflorescence with minute bracteoles or the

bracteoles absent; vegetative trichomes usually simple,
dendroid only when interpetiolar glandular fields
absent ..... 4. Arrabidaea

43. Inflorescence with conspicuous linear bracteoles about

as long as calyx; vegetative trichomes dendroid;
interpetiolar glandular fields present ..... 38.
Xylophragma
Key to the Genera of Bignoniaceae based on fruiting
material

(The fruits of both Potamoganos and Parabignonia are

unknown, so these two genera are not included in this key.)
1. Fruits indehiscent, subglobose; leaves simple; trees or
hemiepiphytic lianas ..... 2
1. Fruits dehiscent; leaves simple or compound; trees,
shrubs, or lianas ..... 3
2(1). Fruit > 5 cm long; leaves in alternate fascicles;
small trees .....8. Crescentia
2. Fruit a globose berry less than 3 cm diameter; leaves
opposite; hemiepiphytic lianas ..... 32. Schlegelia
3(1). Fruit dehiscent perpendicular to septum; trees or
shrubs; leaves various but never 2-foliolate and always
lacking tendrils (tribe Tecomeae) ..... 4
3. Fruit dehiscent parallel to septum (valves splitting in
center and fruit thus apparently 4-valved in some species);
lianas, shrubs, or treelets; leaves often 2-foliolate and
usually tendrillate in part (tribe Bignonieae) ..... 8
4(3). Fruit rounded to elliptic-oblong, strongly flattened
perpendicular to septum; leaves simple to pinnately or
bipinnately compound ..... 5
4. Fruit linear or linear-oblong, terete or flattened
parallel to septum; leaves simple to palmately
compound ..... 6
5(4). Leaves simple or pinnate ..... 11. Digomphia
5. Leaves bipinnate ..... 15. Jacaranda
6(4). Fruit spirally twisted; leaflets 7-9, usually cuneate
to base, the petiolules poorly differentiated ..... 14.
Godmania
6. Fruit straight or slightly curved; leaflets 1-7,
conspicuously petiolulate (at least the terminal
ones) ..... 7
7(6). Seed wings fragmented into separate trichomes; leaves
(especially when young) and young shoots varnished .....
33. Sparattosperma
7. Seed wings membranous (or absent); leaves and young
twigs not conspicuously varnished ..... 35. Tabebuia
8(3). Leaves mostly pinnate, bipinnate, or 2- or 3-
ternate ..... 9
8. Leaves simple or 2- or 3-foliolate (occasionally 2-
ternate toward base in Arrabidaea bilabiata) ..... 11
9(8). Branchlets acutely tetragonal; tendrils trifid .....
28. Pleonotoma
9. Branchlets terete or subterete; tendrils simple (trifid
in Memora flavida) ..... 10
10(9). Interpetiolar glandular fields present ..... 4.
Arrabidaea (A. inaequalis)
10. Interpetiolar glandular fields absent ..... 22. Memora
11(8). Vegetative parts of plant with clove odor; fruit
valves puberulous and winged or with acute squarish margins
and less than 28 0.7 cm ..... 37. Tynanthus
11. Vegetative parts of plant without clove odor; fruit
unwinged (except Adenocalymna purpurascens where glabrous),
> 0.8 cm wide (except in Arrabidaea pubescens with glabrous
fruit and Stizophyllum with terete fruit > 25 cm
long) ..... 12
12(11). Fruit less than 7 mm wide, cylindric; leaflets
pellucid-punctate ..... 34. Stizophyllum
12. Fruit > 6 mm wide, usually flattened; leaflets not
pellucid-punctate ..... 13
13(12). Fruit linear, terete, each valve with a narrow,
central, longitudinal furrow ..... 9. Cuspidaria
13. Fruit linear to oblong, lacking medial furrow, usually
compressed or oblong ..... 14
14(13). Fruit oblong (linear-oblong and terete with smooth
surface in Adenocalymna impressum), the valves woody
(coriaceous in the species of Anemopaegma with wingless
seeds), > 2.2 cm wide ..... 15
14. Fruit linear, distinctly flattened or the valves with
sandpaper-like texture (Paragonia), less than 2.6 cm wide
(except sometimes in Mansoa which also appears in
preceeding key section); valves coriaceous to thinly
subwoody; seeds thin, 2-winged ..... 32
15(14). Fruit conspicuously echinate or acutely tuberculate
..... 16
15. Fruit surface not echinate nor conspicuously
tuberculate (surface rugose-verrucose in Mussatia) ..... 19
16(15). Branchlets acutely hexagonal with ribbed
angles ..... 17
16. Branchlets terete or tetragonal ..... 18
17(16). Tendrils trifid; leaves usually with stellate or
dendroid trichomes; fruit projections obtuse, often widely
scattered ..... 2. Amphilophium
17. Tendrils 3-15-fid; leaves only with simple trichomes;
fruit projections acute, close together ..... 27.
Pithecoctenium
18(16). Tendrils simple; fruit projections thin and hook-
tipped ..... 7. Clytostoma
18. Tendrils trifid; fruit projections thick, not
curved ..... 19. Mansoa (M. verrucifera)
19(15). Branchlets acutely tetragonal; pseudostipules
foliaceous ..... 23. Mussatia
19. Branchlets terete or hexagonal ..... 20
20(19). Capsule valves splitting in half at maturity, the
fruit apparently 4-valved ..... 21. Melloa
20. Capsule valves not splitting, the fruit 2-valved .....
21
21(20). Fruits conspicuously puberulous ..... 22
21. Fruits glabrous or lepidote ..... 24
22(21). Branchlets hexagonal ..... 13. Distictis
22. Branchlets terete ..... 23
23(22). Capsule stipitate ..... 3. Anemopaegma
23. Capsule not stipitate ..... 12. Distictella
24(21). Branchlets hexagonal; tendrils trifid ..... 2.
Amphilophium
24. Branchlets terete or subterete; tendrils simple or
trifid ..... 25
25(24). Fruits terete, > 6 cm diameter; seeds
unwinged ..... 36. Tanaecium
25. Fruits usually flattened, if terete less than 4 cm
diameter; seeds winged or unwinged ..... 26
26(25). Interpetiolar glandular fields present ..... 27
26. Interpetiolar glandular fields absent ..... 29
27(26). Tendrils simple; leaf trichomes mostly
dendroid ..... 38. Xylophragma
27. Tendrils trifid; leaf trichomes uniformly simple .....
28
28(27). Petiolar glandular fields absent; pseudostipules of
3 side-by-side subulate scales; fruit gibbous at base .....
6. Ceratophytum
28. Petiolar glandular fields present; pseudostipules
vertically 3-seriate; fruit acute at base ..... 19. Mansoa
29(26). Fruit stipitate; tendrils usually trifid ..... 3.
Anemopaegma
29. Fruit inconspicuously stipitate; tendrils simple .....
30
30(29). Fruit terete, subterete, or winged; seed body
thicker than the wings or the seeds wingless ..... 1.
Adenocalymna
30. Fruit flattened; seed body about as thick as the
tannish or brownish wings ..... 31
31(30). Fruit > 5 cm wide, the surface smooth ..... 5.
Callichlamys
31. Fruit less than 4 cm wide, the surface irregularly
raised-striate ..... 10. Cydista (C. lilacina)
32(14). Fruit pubescent with nonglandular trichomes, the
central vein and margins raised ..... 16. Lundia
32. Fruit glabrous or lepidote or pubescent (Manaosella,
Arrabidaea mollissima, A. brachypoda, A. lachnaea) but
central veins and margins uniformly flattened or with the
trichomes in part gland-tipped ..... 33
33(32). Tendrils trifid or multifid ..... 34
33. Tendrils simple or minutely bifid (Paragonia) ..... 39
34(33). Tendrils much-divided, the apices in part enlarged
and disk-like; fruit subtended by persistent calyx > 2
1.2 cm, trichomes in part dendroid and in part gland-
tipped, the fruit pubescent ..... 18. Manaosella
34. Tendrils trifid, the apices not disk-like; calyx not
persistent in fruit or less than 2 1.2 cm, the fruit
glabrous or lepidote ..... 35
35(34). Tendrils trifid-uncinate; plants growing appressed
to supporting tree ..... 17. Macfadyena
35. Tendrils not uncinate; stems free-climbing or hanging,
not appressed to trunk of supporting tree ..... 36
36(35). Interpetiolar and petiolar glandular fields present
..... 19. Mansoa
36. Interpetiolar and petiolar glandular fields
absent ..... 37
37(36). Capsule valves subwoody, > 1.6 cm wide ..... 31.
Roentgenia
37. Capsule valves subcoriaceous, less than 1.8 cm
wide ..... 38
38(37). Branchlets terete, smooth ..... 20. Martinella
38. Branchlets hexagonal, costate ..... 30. Pyrostegia
39(33). Stem cross section with 8-16 phloem arms; capsule
with midline barely or not at all evident; seeds with
brownish wings; interpetiolar glandular fields absent .....
40
39. Stem cross section with 4 phloem arms; capsule with
raised midline; seeds with the wings (except Paragonia)
usually hyaline-membranous or absent; interpetiolar
glandular fields present or absent ..... 41
40(39). Capsule valves scattered-lepidote, drying blackish;
branchlets often tetragonal or subtetragonal ..... 10.
Cydista
40. Capsule valves densely lepidote, drying grayish;
branchlets terete ..... 26. Phryganocydia
41(39). Capsule valves flattened, the surface smooth to
verrucose; tendrils simple; petiolar glandular fields
absent; interpetiolar glandular fields often present .....
4. Arrabidaea
41. Capsule valves convex, the surface sandpaper-like;
tendrils minutely bifid; petiolar glandular fields present;
interpetiolar glandular fields absent ..... 25. Paragonia